Belgian championship close to the finals

BLANKENBERGE - The four Belgian leading players in three cushion are in the spotlights at the Multi championships in Blankenberge this weekend. For the title in the most popular discipline, eight players remain. Frédéric Caudron defends his title, Eddy Merckx, Eddy Leppens and Roland Forthomme are the main competitors. The quarterfinals will be played today, tomorrow (Sunday) is the battle between four final players.

The balk-line disciplins are also coming to the climax today with, among other matches, three times the clash between Eddy Leppens and Patrick Niessen. Maarten Janssen will undoubtedly join the fight for the medals. Furthermore, the matches for the medals are played in 5 pins and in the juniors three cushion. The free game, one cushion and the 5 pins come to the apotheosis on Sunday. The three balk-line disciplins are decided today, Saturday.

The eight remaining three cushion finalists are Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Merckx, Eddy Leppens, Roland Forthomme, Frédéric Mottet, Ronny Brants, Steven van Acker and Kenny Miatton. Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Merckx can only meet each other in the final, which will be played on Sunday at 16.00.The matches for today in the quarter-finals:11 am: Caudron-Mottet, Merckx-Van Acker and Leppens-Brants.6.30 pm: Forthomme-Miatton.

Patrick Niessen will play his last match in the free game against Andy de Bondt on Sunday at 11.00. The title can hardly escape to Niessen. He has the same match points as Maarten Janssen, who already played all his matches. Niessen has 92.30 of average, Janssen 62.50. Andy de Bondt certainly has lost his title with 2 match points and only to match against Niessen to play.

Eddy Leppens and Patrick Niessen play the decisive match in the 47/2 at 18.30 today. The winner of that match is the champion, when it comes to a draw, Niessen is the winner. Maarten Janssen has already played his matches and is on the podium with the two front runners.

Also in the 47/1, the match between Patrick Niessen and Eddy Leppens (today at 4 PM) is crucial for the final ranking. Leppens leads with 4 points ahead of Maarten Janssen with 4 points, with a much better average for Leppens (42.45 against 16.75). Anyway, Patrick Niessen has to win his match to have a chance with three match points and 13.81, but when Janssen wins his last match against Deraes, Janssen is champion.

Within the balk-line 71/2, Eddy Leppens and Patrick Niessen play against each other at 13.30. Leppens leads with 6 points and 28.84 ahead of Niessen with 6 points and 22.05. The winner will be on the highest podium.

Eddy Leppens takes the title in one cushion if he wins his match against Maarten Janssen in his last performance (Sunday 13.30). Leppens has two match points more than Frédéric Caudron, who has 8.00 of average against Leppens 8.65. Maarten Janssen, like Caudron, has 4 match points and 7.79 average. If Janssen wins his match against Leppens, the championship will be decided on average and Caudron can even extend his title with a win over Forton.

Kevin van Hees leads the ranking for juniors, but has already finished with four matches and six match points (0.648). Dylan Parent and Stef van Hees will meet each other. The winner of that match also comes to six match points and can be champion on average.

Stefan Neyens is the leader in wheelchair billiards with six match points out of three matches. Johan Grimon is his main rival. Neyens won the first match against this opponent, but they meet again. Johan Grimon can be equal in match points and has a better average. If Neyens wins, he is the new champion.